Mechanical and self-healing behavior of low carbon engineered cementitious composites reinforced with PP-fibers. (30th October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhu, He; Zhang, Duo; Wang, Tianyu; Wu, Haoliang; Li, Victor C.
• Is Part Of: Construction & building materials. Volume 259(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-10-30
• Subjects: Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) -- Limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) -- Metakaolin -- Limestone -- Durability; Building materials -- Periodicals; 624.18
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.119805
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-0618

Abstract

Highlights: A sustainable ECC was developed using LC3 cement and PP fiber. The strain capacity of LC3-ECC (6%) is substantially higher than that of PP-ECC in the literature. LC3-ECC retains strength enhancement and no ductility loss after self-healing subsequent to 2% tensile straining. LC3-ECC reduces 61% of material cost, 45% of energy consumption, and 48% of carbon emission compared to M45-ECC. Abstract: While the ultrahigh tensile ductility and superior durability of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) have been demonstrated, the relatively high energy and carbon intensity, as well as high material cost present potential impediments to broader ECC applications. The objective of this research is to develop a more sustainable and cost-effective ECC. The ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and the commonly used PVA fiber in conventional ECC were replaced by limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) and polypropylene (PP) fiber, respectively. The ECC compressive strength, tensile stress-strain relationship, and microcrack self-healing behavior were studied at three water to binder ratios (0.3, 0.2, 0.16). The novel LC3-PP-ECC showed a tensile strain capacity of greater than 6% and an intrinsically tight crack width below 82 μm when loaded to 1% tensile strain. Further, the LC3-PP-ECC demonstrated efficient recovery of the composite tensile ductility and ultimate tensile strength through self-healing. Compared to typical ECC made with OPC and PVA fiber, the material cost, embodied energy and carbon footprint of LC3-PP-ECC are reduced by 61%, 45%, and 48%, respectively. The superior mechanical properties and durability combined with the low environmental impact and cost for material production promote LC3-PP-ECC as a sustainable material for structural and non-structural applications.